Cursed Lullaby
by emeraldwolf
Summary: This takes place in the last few episodes of the series. Spoilers for everything up to episode 24 or so. Centers on Folken and Van dealing with each other. oneshot


Van smelled something. It wasn't a specific scent. Like apples, or the ocean, or the earthy smell of his home. But it still pulled the same memories, even if Van couldn't identify what the scent was. It smelled of his brother.

Then he realized that he was laying on his bed, with his head on a hard surface. He didn't know what it was at first, until a soft hand began to run fingers through his hair. As his mind became clearer, he realized someone was humming a song.

_Folken?_

He squirmed in his sleep, turning his face further into his brother's knee. At this the humming stopped, and so did the fingers in his hair.

_I love this dream. _

"You stopped brother…" Van mumbled sleepily. He loved the feeling of being home. He could sense the ancient walls of the palace in Fanelia all around him.

"What did I stop?"

Van smiled and curled up on his side, bringing himself closer to his brother. The fingers returned to his hair and continued to comb through them. He had never understood his brother's obsession with his hair. It wasn't soft and silky like Folken's, and it seemed to constantly be tangled and knotty.

"You stopped your song…"

The king of Fanelia felt the soft rumble of his older brother's laughter vibrate through the bed. It just made him smile and close his eyes tighter.

_If I open my eyes…this dream will end. And I'll be stuck with Strategos down the hall from me, instead of my brother here with me. _

"What is it about that song that you love so much little brother?"

Van thought for a moment, as Folken returned to playing with the king's ruffled hair.

"I suppose it reminds me of mother. And of you."

"Hm. And why would that song remind you of mother, if you don't mind me asking?"

Van was content for a minute, and his mind began to wander. After a few seconds his brother politely coughed and Van stuttered out an answer.

"B-Because she taught it to you…" Van's mind was foggy, but even so, something seemed off.

There was silence in the room, and in it Van burrowed deeper against his brother's warmth. He never wanted to leave. Never wanted this feeling to end. But he knew that it would. Just like it always did.

"Van, mother never sang this song. It is a Fanelian song. I learned it from a servant girl who used to sweep my room," Folken said. Then he softly tapped on Van's head, getting his attention and causing the boy to scrunch his face uncomfortably. "So tell me why it is you think of mother when I sing my song?"

"I guess the song reminds me of all of us," Van said hesitantly. "It's like a Draconian. Beautiful, and sad like mother. But beneath the obvious, the song carries a sense of strength, and…and it almost sounds like there's something its hiding."

The hand continued running through the dark hair that was spread on Folken's knee. Van could almost feel it becoming more and more gentle. Like Folken was paying more attention now to what he was doing.

"I miss you Folken," Van choked out. He was not one to show his sadness so openly. But he felt tears pricking his eyes and he turned his face, hiding it against his brother's leg.

"But I'm here now Van. You don't have to miss me anymore."

"No. No, you're not here. You're Strategos. My traitor of a brother," Van felt the body he was laying against stiffen. And the hand stopped its ministrations and rested atop his head. "Only in my memories and my dreams are you still Folken. God…I miss you so much Folken."

"Shh…I'm your older brother Van. I should have been there to protect you…watch you grow up."

Folken's hand ran down Van's neck, and down the arm that he wasn't laying on.

"You've gotten too big Van. I doubt I could throw you in the air like I used to anymore." Folken playfully squeezed Van's bicep. "Or perhaps you'd be the one throwing me."

Van laughed and sniffled away the remainders of the tears in his eyes. He was truly afraid now. This dream had gone on far too long. There was no way it would be able to continue much longer.

"Folken…" Van said pitifully as he crawled farther towards his brother. Still he kept his eyes clamped shut, for fear of ending this one bit of peace he had in his life. As he wrapped his arms around his brother, he felt something strange. A hardness on his brother's side.

In a flash, Van suddenly smelled the sea air blowing in his window. Pallas was by the sea, but Fanelia was far from it.

His reddish brown eyes flew open and he looked at the monstrous robotic arm that he had brushed against. It was propping up his traitorous brother, who's good arm was still wrapped around Van, holding onto his arm.

"Get away from me," Van hissed. He quickly scooted back on the bed, bunching the covers underneath him for moving so fast. Folken just sat with his back to the headboard, his sad face barely discernable in the early morning light. But after his eyes adjusted, there was no mistaking the tear tattoo on his brother's face.

"I thought you said you missed me?" he said in that oh-so-annoyingly patronizing voice.

Van snarled and got up, refusing to even sit on the same bed as the man who had burned down their home. His brother watched him calmly.

"How dare you?! Coming into my room in the middle of the night. How did you even get past the guards?"

Folken put a finger to his lips, trying to quiet down his brother, but Van's voice had skyrocketed in volume. Almost at the instant he was done speaking, there was a knock at the door.

"Lord Van? What's happening? Why are you yelling?" Folken immediately recognized the cat-girl's voice.

Van had a plan all in mind. He would let Merle in, let her see that Folken was up to his old tricks again. But on his way to the door, he heard a perpetually calm voice waft over to him from the bed.

"If she knows you weren't safe, she'll never leave your room ever again."

Van froze as his hand touched the door. Much as he wanted to deny it, once again, his brother proved to be right. Instead of continuing his plan, he slowly opened the door just a crack. Merle stared back at him, pressing against the door enough that Van had to put his weight forward just to keep her from busting in.

"Are you alright Lord Van? I heard you yelling."

"I'm fine Merle, don't worry. Just talking in my sleep that's all."

The young girl looked at him incredulously for a moment, but her loyalty won out. With a quick nod and a flick of her tail, she bounded down the hall, stopping halfway and curling up comfortably on the floor. Obviously she didn't trust Van quite as much as he had thought.

After he had quietly closed the door Van turned back to his brother. Folken hadn't moved an inch, and was still smirking ever so slightly at him.

"Get out of my room Folken."

"So am I to assume that our conversation for tonight is over?"

Van just glared at the man on his bed.

"I hardly think sneaking into someone's room and deceiving them counts as a conversation."

This seemed to be enough to finally persuade Folken that he had overstayed his welcome. He stood up, and Van was uncomfortably reminded of how much taller his older brother was than himself. With his usual grace Folken swept towards the door.

"Wait!"

Raising an eyebrow Folken turned to his little brother. Van seemed suddenly to have grown angry again.

"You can't go out that way. Merle is guarding the hall."

"Hm."

_I wonder if father ever had problems with cat-girls…_

"So how do you suggest I get back to my room then?" Folken said smugly. Van thought for a minute before walking over and pulling the curtains of his window wide open.

"You've got wings. Use them."

This harsh statement caused Folken's perfectly cool façade to break. He looked at his brother in shock. He never thought that Van would ever have said anything like that. Especially after what happened when he was a boy…

"Have you forgotten what mother told us Van? Not to show anyone our wings," he said in a patronizing, but brotherly voice.

Van walked over to the window and looked out into the courtyard. Some guards were walking around, and at least one was positioned at each door.

"The only ones in the courtyard right now are the crew of the crusade. Looks like they got stuck with the graveyard shift."

"What does that matter? I'm not going to show them my wings Van."

Van looked to his brother, surprised at the odd pouting tone to his voice.

"They know I'm a Draconian…" he paused at his brother's snort of surprise, "And since you're my brother, they know you are too."

His light hearted voice had become bitter by the time he finished. He could barely raise his eyes to meet his brother's scornful gaze. Van tried, but his brother's scarlet eyes were too intimidating and he looked down at the floor, conceding to his older brother.

"I remember…"

At his brother's even voice Van looked up again.

"I remember when mother yelled at you after you jumped off the roof. And you cried in your room the rest of the day for being scorned. Then you came to me and asked why we could show our wings while we practiced flying in the woods."

The younger boy thought about this. He had been very young, but one memory that was still vivid was the day he fell while flying. Shaking off the feeling of nostalgia, Van glared at his brother again.

"Stop stalling and leave. Now."

With a miniscule huff Folken began undoing his usual outfit, letting it fall down to pool at his waist. With a slight pull to his muscles, his wings gently made their way out from his back. He could see the black feathers falling to the floor. Turning to say something snide to Van, Folken was caught mid-breath by his brother's expression. It wasn't the disgust or surprise he had received when the boy had first seen the wings in Fanelia.

"What made them change?" he said in a choked voice.

Folken sighed and pulled the abominations closer to his body, trying to make them as little noticeable as possible.

"It's because of the fate alteration engine. Being exposed to it has shortened my life."

"But why are your wings black?"

Folken's wings betrayed his surprise and spread out from his body at his brother's naïve question. He had just assumed that his brother understood with this omen meant.

"Mother never told you…or showed you…did she?"

Van shook his head indicating no.

"I…I did return to Fanelia after joining Zaibach. It was shortly after I started working under Dornkirk. When I arrived, I stayed in the area of the dragon's nests. I didn't want anyone to know I had returned, especially you and mother."

"But she went to look for you…" Van whispered, realization coming to him slowly. His brother nodded before continuing his story.

"We have Draconian blood, and can sense each other's presence. You were too young at the time to have mastered this skill, but mother sensed me and found me almost as soon as I landed. She had come to me to say goodbye. Her wings were darker than mine by then."

Van let out a slow breath, squinting his dry eyes together at the thought of his beautiful mother the way he remembered her. Right before she left.

"So you see…we Draconians know when it is time for us to die. When our wings molt and turn black, we don't last much longer."

As he spoke, Folken approached the window and gently eased himself up to the windowsill. Van looked up and took a step forward, wanting to say something but unable to force it out. With a flutter as soft as an owl's wings, Folken leapt from the window and skimmed along the wall of the palace on the way to his own window.

Van crumbled to his bed, sending black feathers into the air.

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Well, I like the way this came out. I think I might write a few more chapters, all involving Van and Folken's last few days together. I'm a sucker for their great and multi-faceted relationship. Okay…leave a review and tell me what ya think. Later readers!


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